diff --git a/vfs/fish.c b/vfs/fish.c
index ae779a0ad..382d68ac9 100644
--- a/vfs/fish.c
+++ b/vfs/fish.c
@@ -376,19 +376,22 @@ fish_dir_load(struct vfs_class *me, struct vfs_s_inode *dir, char *remote_path)
 		   "use Fcntl;\n"
 		   "use POSIX ':fcntl_h'; #S_ISLNK was here until 5.6\n"
 		   "import Fcntl ':mode' unless defined &S_ISLNK; #and is now here\n"
-		   "my $dirname = \"/%s\";\n"
-		   "opendir ( DIR, $dirname ) || printf \"###500\n\";\n"
-		   "while( (my $filename = readdir(DIR))){\n"
-		   "my ($dev,$ino,$mode,$nlink,$uid,$gid,$rdev,$size,$atime,$mtime,$ctime,$blksize,$blocks) = lstat(\"$dirname/$filename\");\n"
-       "my mloctime= scalar localtime $mtime;\n"
-		   "if (S_ISLNK($mode) ) {\n"
-        "my $linkname = readlink (\"$dirname/$filename\");\n"
-			  "printf(\"P$mode $uid.$gid\nS$size\nd$mloctime\n:\\\"$filename\\\" -> \\\"$linkname\\\"\n\n\");\n"
+		   "my \\\$dirname = \\\"/%s\\\";\n"
+		   "if (opendir ( DIR, \\\$dirname )) {\n"
+		   "while( (my \\\$filename = readdir(DIR))){\n"
+		   "my (\\\$dev,\\\$ino,\\\$mode,\\\$nlink,\\\$uid,\\\$gid,\\\$rdev,\\\$size,\\\$atime,\\\$mtime,\\\$ctime,\\\$blksize,\\\$blocks) = lstat(\\\"\\\$dirname/\\\$filename\\\");\n"
+		   "my \\\$mloctime= scalar localtime \\\$mtime;\n"
+		   "if (S_ISLNK(\\\$mode) ) {\n"
+		   "my \\\$linkname = readlink (\\\"\\\$dirname/\\\$filename\\\");\n"
+			  "printf(\\\"P\\\$mode \\\$uid.\\\$gid\nS\\\$size\nd\\\$mloctime\n:\\\\\"\\\$filename\\\\\" -> \\\\\"\\\$linkname\\\\\"\n\n\\\");\n"
 		   "} else {\n"
-			  "printf(\"P$mode $uid.$gid\nS$size\nd$mloctime\n:\\\"$filename\\\"\n\n\");\n"
+			  "printf(\\\"P\\\$mode \\\$uid.\\\$gid\nS\\\$size\nd\\\$mloctime\n:\\\\\"\\\$filename\\\\\"\n\n\\\");\n"
 		   "}}\n"
-		   "printf(\"###200\n\");\n"
-		   "closedir(DIR);\"\n"
+		   "printf(\\\"###200\n\\\");\n"
+		   "closedir(DIR);\n"
+		   "} else {\n"
+		    "printf(\\\"###500\n\\\");\n"
+		   "}\"\n"
 		"elif `ls -1 \"/%s\" >/dev/null 2>&1` ; then\n"
 		  "if `ls -Q \"/%s\" >/dev/null 2>&1`; then\n"
 			  "LSOPT=\"-Qlan\";\n"